Among the all-time great cricketers is MS Dhoni. After declaring retirement from the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2020, he has only played in the IPL. His popularity among cricket fans hasn’t lessened at all, either.
The renowned wicketkeeper-batter is purportedly seen using a hookah pipe during a social gathering in a recent video that went viral on the internet. Divergent viewpoints on the incident have surfaced within the cricket community. It has been difficult for some people to believe that the 42-year-old would be smoking hookah so carelessly in public. Some believe that the person who was born in Ranchi was savoring flavoured hookah.
In the meantime, Cricket Australia’s (CA) previous video has made a comeback. Five years ago, on CA’s official YouTube page, the aforementioned video was posted as an homage to Dhoni, who had just captured India for the 200th time in the 50-over format.
George Bailey, the Australian ODI captain at the time, mentioned Dhoni’s love of the “Sheesha or the hookah” in the video. Bailey mentioned that the motivational leader would arrange a hookah in his room and extend a warm welcome to other participants. They would smoke the hookah and talk about the many aspects of the game.
Dhoni coached the former Australian batter while he was a member of the Chennai Super Kings in 2009 and 2010.
“It seems possible that he also discussed this with the Indian team. I mean, he enjoys lighting up a hookah or sheesha occasionally. It was very much an open-door approach, so he would frequently put that up in his room,” Bailey stated in the video.
“Going in, you would usually find some of the younger players there, and I believe that for the Indian team—or maybe for many cricket teams—it could be somewhat hierarchical and other things. But he dissected that. You then find yourself in his room late at night, talking with various people about various topics, including the game and its various aspects. Bailey continued, “It’s just a fantastic way to break down barriers.”
Awaiting MS Dhoni’s return to the field, fans are holding their breath. In the next Indian Premier League, he will be captain of Chennai. It is anticipated that this will be Dhoni’s final assignment as a professional player, and supporters are eager to bid him farewell forever.